Auxiliary support and trash bag bin for trash receptacle

ABSTRACT

A unitary support and trash bag bin device for use with conventional trash receptacle includes an open top support member for receiving the lower end portion of a trash receptacle therein. A trash bag bin is integral with the support member and projects forwardly therefrom. The bin is sized and dimensioned to contain a supply of trash bags which are used to line a trash receptacle.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a support and trash bag bin device for usewith a conventional trash receptacle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In my earlier U.S. Pat. No. 7,036,675, I provided a conventional trashreceptacle with a smaller bin for containing trash bags. Typically,household trash receptacles are provided with trash bag liners forfacilitating the removal of the contents of the receptacle. In my U.S.Pat. No. 7,036,675, a conventional trash receptacle was modified toprovide the container for the trash bags.

The present invention obviates the need for such modification of aconventional trash receptacle. The instant device is designed forsupporting a conventional trash receptacle while providing a trash bagbin for containing trash bags.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel support device foruse with conventional household trash receptacles which provides trashbag bins for such receptacles.

Specifically, it is an object of this invention to provide an auxiliarysupport and bin device, of essentially unitary construction, foraccommodating a conventional trash receptacle.

The support and bin device is preferably a one-piece molded structure inwhich the support is shaped and configured to receive the lower portionof a conventional trash receptacle therein. The receptacle cooperateswith the bin to form a container for the trash bags to enable a user tohave a supply of trash bag liners readily available for use. Removabledividers for the trash bin are provided to allow the bin to becompartmentalized.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the auxiliary support and bin deviceillustrated in cooperating relation with a conventional trashreceptacle;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the auxiliary support and bin devicetaken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1 and looking in the direction of thearrows with a conventional trash receptacle shown in phantom lineconfiguration;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the auxiliary support and bin device;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the auxiliary support and bin deviceillustrating a roll of trash bags and a spray bottle in the bin;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the auxiliary support and bin deviceillustrating the bin with removable dividers; and

FIG. 6 is a partially exploded perspective view of the auxiliary supportdevice illustrating a single and double divider for optional use in thebin.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIG. 1, it willbe seen that the novel support and trash bag bin device 10 isillustrated in cooperating relation with a conventional open tophousehold trash receptacle 31. The trash receptacle 31 is a conventionalcommercially available receptacle and includes opposed side walls 32, afront wall 33 and a rear wall 34.

The opposed side walls 32, front wall 33 and rear wall 34 convergeslightly downwardly to a bottom wall 35. The upper edge of thereceptacle 31 has a conventional rolled flange 36 characteristic ofcommercial receptacles 31.

The support and trash bag bin device includes an open top support member11 and a trash bag bin 12. The support and bin device is of molded onepiece construction from a suitable rigid plastic material. The supportmember 11 includes opposed side walls 13, a rear wall 14 and a frontwall 15 which converge slightly downwardly to a flat bottom wall 16.

The convergent angle of the vertical walls of the support member 11correspond to convergent angle of the walls of the trash receptacle 31thereby enabling the trash receptacle to be snugly positioned within thesupport member 11. The front wall 15 of the support member 11 has agenerally rectangular shaped opening 17 therein. The bin 12 projectsforwardly from the periphery of the opening 17 and is positionedinwardly of the side walls 13.

The bin 12 has opposed side walls 18, a front wall 19 and a bottom wall20. It will be noted that the bottom wall 20 is coplanar and continuouswith the bottom wall 16 of the support member. It will also be notedthat while the front wall 19 converges downwardly and inwardly, the sidewalls 18 are disposed in substantially parallel relation to each other.The bin 12 is provided with a lid 26 having a molded in hinge 27.Although a hinged lid is preferred, the lid may be omitted.

It will be noted that the upper edges 21 of the side walls 13, the upperedge 22 of the rear wall 14 and the upper edge 23 of the front wall ofthe support member are disposed in a single plane disposed substantiallyparallel with the bottom wall 16. However, the upper edges 24 of theside walls 18 of the bin 12 are declined downwardly and forwardly to theupper edge of the front wall 19.

Referring now to FIG. 4, it will be seen that the bin defines a singlecompartment for accommodating a roll of bags B and a spray bottle S.However, a divider or dividers may be provided for compartmentalizingthe interior of the bin 12. Referring now to FIG. 6, it will be seenthat a flat horizontal support element 29 is provided and shaped to fitsnugly into the bin upon the bottom wall 20. A vertical substantiallyflat divider element 30 is secured to the horizontal element 29 andprojects upwardly therefrom. The divider 30 is centrally located withrespect to the horizontal element 29 and has a vertical dimensioncorresponding generally to the vertical dimension of the vertical sidewalls 15 of the bin 12.

FIG. 6 also shows a two divider arrangement including a flat horizontalelement 29 having a pair of substantially identical dividers securedthereto and projecting upwardly therefrom. The dividers 30 are spacedapart a distance corresponding to the spacing from a side edge of thehorizontal element 29 to the adjacent divider 30. When this dividerstructure is positioned within the bin 12, the interior of the bin isdivided into three equal compartments as shown in FIG. 5. The upperedges of the divider or dividers may be disposed in plane parallel tothe bottom wall 20 and the divider edge(s) may be positioned slightlybelow the upper edges of the side walls 18 of the bin. Alternatively theupper edge(s) of the divider may be inclined and coextensive with theinclined upper edges of the side walls 18.

Use of the dividers is optional, but use of the divider or dividers doeseffectively compartmentalize the interior of the bin. It will be notedthat the bin 12 does not have a rear wall. However, when a conventionaltrash receptacle is placed into the support member, the front wall 33 ofthe trash receptacle defines the rear wall of the bin.

A user will remove a bag from the bin and line the interior of the trashreceptacle 31 with a bag. The upper edge portions of the bag will befolded over the flange 36 of the receptacle. When bag liner is full, theuser may remove the filled bag and replace it with another bagconveniently located within the bin.

A user need not remove the receptacle from the support member eventhough this may be accomplished easily. The support and trash bag bindevices may be stacked since the units readily nest within each other.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that I have provided anovel support and trash bag device which cooperates with conventionaltrash receptacles for providing trash bag liners for the receptacles.

1. An auxiliary support and trash bag bin device for use with aconventional open top trash receptacle, the trash receptacle havingopposed side walls and opposed front and rear walls converging slightlydownwardly and being integral with a flat, planar bottom wall, theauxiliary support and trash bag bin device including an open top supportmember having opposed side walls and opposed front and rear wallsconverging slightly downwardly to a flat bottom wall, the convergentangle of the walls of the support member corresponding to the convergentangle of the walls of the trash receptacle to enable the trashreceptacle to be snugly positioned within the support member, an opentop bag bin integral with the front wall of the support member includingopposed side walls and a front wall integral with a flat bottom wall,the width dimension of the bin being less than the width dimension ofthe support member, said bin having an open rear portion extendingbetween the side walls and bottom wall of the bin, the front wall of thetrash receptacle defining the rear wall of the bin when the trashreceptacle is positioned within the support member, the bag bin beingsized and dimensioned for containing trash bags therein for use inlining the interior of the trash receptacle.
 2. The device as defined inclaim 1 wherein said trash bag bin is provided with a lid having amolded in hinge integral with the front wall of the bin.
 3. The deviceas defined in claim 1 wherein said support member and trash bag bindevice is of unitary molded construction formed of a plastic material.4. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein the flat bottom wall of thesupport member is coplanar and continuous with the flat bottom wall ofthe bin.
 5. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein the upper edges ofthe walls of the support member are disposed in a plane substantiallyparallel to the bottom wall of the support member, the upper edges ofthe walls of the bin being disposed in plane angularly disposed withrespect to the bottom wall of the bin.
 6. The device as defined in claim1 and removable divider mean positioned within the bin and dividing theinterior of the bin into equal sized vertical compartments.
 7. Thedevice as defined in claim 6 wherein the divider means include a flathorizontal element positioned upon the bottom wall of the bin, and avertical, planar divider element integral with the horizontal elementand projecting upwardly therefrom.
 8. The device as defined in claim 7wherein the horizontal element corresponds in size and dimensions to thebottom wall of the bin to snugly fit within the bin.
 9. The device asdefined in claim 6 wherein the divider means includes a horizontalelement positioned upon the bottom wall of the bin, a pair of laterallyspaced apart vertical, planar divider elements integral with thehorizontal element and projecting upwardly therefrom to divide theinterior of the bin into three equal sized compartments.